Page 23 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2025

SAMENA COUNCIL ADVOCACY SAMENA TRENDS

SAMENA Council On

Inclusive Digital Transformation

SAMENA Council Reaffirms Commitment to Inclusive Digital Transforma-
tion at WSIS Leaders TalkX 2025

can—and must—coexist. He emphasized With over 2.6 billion
that investments in connectivity must be
matched by policy foresight and ethical people still offline, Mr.
innovation. Ba underscored what

“Infrastructure alone isn’t enough,” he he called a “dignity
noted. “We must pair fiber with foresight gap”—one that delays
and bandwidth with trust. This includes
transparent, fair, and accountable futures and silences
governance of AI systems.” potential. SAMENA
SAMENA Council continues to call for
regulatory certainty and harmonized policy Council, a staunch
frameworks to catalyze investment in advocate for universal
priority sectors including health, education,
green innovation, and financial inclusion. connectivity, reiterated
that connectivity is a
As the region’s leading voice for digital
At the World Summit on the Information development, SAMENA Council urges right, not a reward.
Society (WSIS) Forum 2025, SAMENA public and private sector actors alike
Telecommunications Council’s CEO, Mr. to move beyond mere access—toward elevate it,” concluded Mr. BA. “Our legacy
Bocar BA, delivered a powerful message inclusive, empowered digital societies. will be measured not by network speed, but
during Leaders TalkX: ICT Application to by lives transformed.”
Unlock the Full Potential of Digital – Part “Let’s not just connect the world—let’s
I, calling on global stakeholders to ensure
that digital transformation becomes a
force for equity, not division.

“We have a collective responsibility to
ensure that digital transformation becomes
the great Equalizer of our age—not its next
great Divide,” affirmed Mr. BA.

With over 2.6 billion people still offline, Mr.
Ba underscored what he called a “dignity
gap”—one that delays futures and silences
potential. SAMENA Council, a staunch
advocate for universal connectivity,
reiterated that connectivity is a right, not a
reward.

Citing the work of the UN Broadband
Commission, Mr. Ba pointed to the Universal
Broadband Financing Framework as a
model that proves capital and conscience

23 JUNE-JULY 2025